Monthly Archives: January 2010

The Audiophile Computer

The other day a visitor to my home office remarked: I had no idea that computer sound could be like that. By “that” he meant full-bodied, engaging, clear, lifelike—in short, audiophile. His experience of computer-based audio has been up to … Continue reading

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Squirrel Cage

Uh, oh: it’s happening. I’m turning into one of those middle-aged audiophile guys. It’s always guys, you know. Mostly middle-aged because exalted audio is expensive, although apart from the fringe extremists, it isn’t limited to only the insanely rich. Audiophiles … Continue reading

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Eternal Boy

It’s one of the iconic images of the Jazz Age, a scrubbed-up kid a few months shy of his 21st birthday, gazing just past the camera lens with a sweet, slightly sappy half-smile. He had twins by the thousands, back … Continue reading

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Golden Girl

When I brought April home from the SPCA, she had earmites and infections in her eyes and upper respiratory tract. A knobby scar under her left front leg bore witness to some mishap during her past life, just as her … Continue reading

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Pulp, schmulp

Insatiable bookworm that I am, forever burrowing, reading this and that in places hither and yon, I’ve been known to go slumming on occasion with a trashy pulp thriller. I would never want to make a steady diet of the … Continue reading

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Orchestral Gestalt

I may be a pianist, but listening to piano playing ranks very low on my list of Fun Things to Do. In my ever-burgeoning record collection, piano music represents only a modest fraction of the whole; in fact, I may … Continue reading

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Musical Morsels for SF Trivia Buffs

Of late I’ve been reading through Gary Giddins’s and Scott DeVeaux’s Jazz, a stellar one-volume coverage of jazz in all its many shapes and sizes. Together with its accompanying 4-CD set, Jazz just might be your best bet for thorough … Continue reading

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Shameless Self-Promotion

For January I’ve written several articles pertaining to George Benjamin’s visit to the San Francisco Symphony. They’re online now on the SFS website, for your perusal, reading pleasure, edification, intoxication, etc. First up is a long article about Benjamin himself … Continue reading

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Satchmo and an English Swede

Winter break drifts along, allowing me any amount of free time for taking on those household projects that must be put on hold during a typically busy semester. But no projects are getting done. Instead, I’m drifting right along with … Continue reading

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